The Thanks in Thanksgiving.

It’s that time of year again when it seems like there’s not enough time. I am overwhelmed with so much work and just wishing I could have a 30-hour day. Right now, six extra hours can make a lot of difference in my life. Enough said about my schedule.

Photo Courtesy: Microsoft Office Images

Thanksgiving is about a week away. Families will soon gather around dinner tables in the spirit of Thanksgiving. And of course, dinner is going to be more expensive this year, thanks to the economy. How sad.

Two Words: Thank You!
With so much going on with the economy, we all need to hear some positive, reassuring words from time to time. This is an appropriate time to appreciate your employees.

It’s a great time to appreciate that lady who cleans your office and makes it more comfortable for you to work. It’s that time to appreciate that co-worker who makes your work more interesting and fulfilling. It’s also the time to appreciate your boss, without whom you won’t have a job.

I came across an article on the “Top 10 Ways to Help Employees Deal with Economic Crisis.” One of the tips was to “consider giving turkeys to employees for Thanksgiving and accompany the gift with a card acknowledging the difficult economic times and expressing appreciation for what everyone is doing.”

Even if the harsh reality of the economy prevents you from distributing turkeys, a kind word of appreciation goes an extra mile in boosting morale.

The Thanksgiving Spirit
In my previous post I blogged about employee volunteer programs. Thanksgiving is also a good time for your employees to help people in your community.

Employees at Southwest Airlines, for example, serve Thanksgiving meals to families at the Ronald McDonald House. They show that they care. Below is a short video on Thanksgiving at the Ronald McDonald House.

This Thanksgiving, student employees at the University of Arkansas are also hosting a food drive to benefit the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. It shows that we can all make a difference in our communities if we choose.

Make this Thanksgiving special for your employees and co-workers.  Don’t just wish them a happy Thanksgiving, say “thank you.”

hApPY ThAnKsGiViNg eVeRyOnE!!!

Thanksgiving Resources:
Bringing the Thanksgiving Spirit to the Workplace.
Creative ways to say “Thank You.”
Thanksgiving cards for employees.

Volunteers, anyone?

During my time at Rockwell Automation, we had a fundraiser for victims of the China earthquake which happened in May. Thousands were killed in that disaster. Employees at the Mayfield Heights location

Photo Courtesy: bbc.co.uk

decided they had to do something to assist the victims.

A car wash and ice cream sundae event was held at the facility to raise funds. It was a sunny day and the turnout was good. Employees rolled up sleeves and got all dirty while washing cars. It was interesting to see the senior vice president and other senior managers mingle with other employees during the event.

The sundae was good but washing cars to support the cause was even better. I had never washed as many cars as I did that day. It was fun! We worked as a team to help people in a faraway country.

Employee Volunteer Programs
Employee volunteer programs are becoming more popular because a lot of companies realize it’s their social responsibility to help improve their communities. But as it is with other communication or PR programs, EVPs also require well-thought out strategies.

There are several things to consider if you are thinking of starting an EVP. You need to think about what you want to achieve with an EVP. Forming partnerships with other organizations can also increase the impact of your EVP. There are lots of nonprofit organizations and causes out there so it’s important that your program has a specific focus. Another important consideration is how you’ll evaluate its success.

Chris Jarvis blogs about corporate volunteering and he says that companies with great corporate volunteering programs “manage to achieve strategic alignment between the company’s CSR approach and the company’s brand.”

In other words, find opportunities that advance your business and promote the public good at the same time. Verizon Wireless’ Hopeline Program is a good example. The company helps victims of domestic violence through its technology. Aligning the program with its business makes it easier to measure its success.

Courtesy: Verizon Wireless

Customers can also get involved by donating their old phones. The company refurbishes or recycles these old phones and proceeds go to the program.

Read more about the program or watch a six-minute video about it.

Benefits of Corporate Volunteering
In the 2008 Deloitte Volunteer Impact Study, 91 percent of survey respondents agreed that skills-based volunteering would add value to training and development programs, particularly as it relates to fostering business and leadership skills.

The study also revealed that only one out of six companies make it a regular practice to intentionally offer skills-based volunteer opportunities for employee development.

Not only does skills-based volunteering provide much-needed support to local nonprofits, but it also helps foster meaningful business and leadership skills among employees.

According to Volunteer Match, EVPs increase job satisfaction and morale, improve communication between employees and their supervisors and build brand awareness. Without strategic planning, however, an EVP may not yield those benefits.

Here are some resources to help you start an employee volunteer program:
Corporation for National and Community Service
Points of Light Foundation

You can also see examples of employee volunteer programs form Jarvis’ blog.

When You’ve Got Bad News…

The United States witnessed a huge number of job cuts this year as a result of the economic crisis. It really hurt to see thousands of people lose their jobs.

Photo Courtesy: Microsoft Office Photos

Let’s face it; companies will always have to cut jobs at some point, whether or not there is an economic crisis. It could be as a result of changing strategy, new technology that requires fewer hands, or may be the manager wakes up on the wrong side of the bed and decides to layoff employees.

Whatever the reason, it always pays to have a plan for communicating bad news. It prepares the employee communications department to properly handle such situations when they arise.

At Rockwell Automation, I had the opportunity to help develop a facility closure template for the employee communications department. I thought this was a very good way to prepare for the inevitable.

Respect! Respect!! Respect!!!
In communicating job cuts to employees, managers need to be sensitive. Like I wrote in a previous post, you need to put yourself in other people’s shoes. Be humane.

I have heard of companies dismissing employees and sending in security to kick them out, giving them time limits to clear out their desks. By doing this, they are only sending a message to other employees that they could also be treated the same way. This has the tendency to affect loyalty and morale. It’s one thing that they already feel bad losing their jobs, but to also be treated with disrespect is improper.

Managements will have less fear of dismissed employees sabotaging their companies if the feelings of those affected are considered when creating and delivering the message.  If you hired these people and invested in them, why would you treat them badly when letting them go?

Face-to-Face Communication’s Still in Vogue
Communicating layoffs over the phone or via e-mail is wrong. I once experienced a co-worker being told on phone that her appointment was being terminated the following week.  She wasn’t expecting it. We weren’t expecting it either. It had a negative effect on other people in the workplace. People suddenly didn’t feel secure about their jobs.

Photo Courtesy: Microsoft Office Photos

Communicating job losses is a message that still requires face-to-face communication. Technology shouldn’t replace this. Web 2.0 tools won’t suffice.

I read this NY Times article on companies using blogs to communicate job cuts. I don’t see any reason why any company would blog about job cuts before informing its employees. I don’t think any responsible company would allow its employees to receive such news from a blog.

For some people, losing their jobs could feel like the end of the world. Nobody likes to receive bad news but sometimes, the way it is communicated can help reduce the impact.

I’ve also witnessed cases where employees hear of possible downsizing from the grapevine.  I just wonder how this benefits a company that doesn’t promptly address this kind of hearsay. If a layoff is in the offing, let your workers know. Employees can never put in their best if such rumors persist. They need to hear directly from management and not from a colleague. Be open. Address issues in a timely manner.

Communicating the Bad News
In communicating layoffs, employees need to be informed every step of the way. It helps build credibility and trust. They need to know:

• The rationale for downsizing
• Who will be affected by this decision and why?
• How it will affect those remaining?

Responsible companies should have counseling sessions for those affected and give them one-on-one opportunities to speak about their concerns. It’s also necessary to:

• Address issues regarding their benefits immediately.
• Let them know you truly value their work.
• Be prepared with possible questions and appropriate responses about your action.
• Be sensitive to their emotions during this time.

Debra Hamilton is president of Creative Communications and Training, Inc. Read her tips for communicating bad news. The HR department at the University of California’s Berkeley campus also has some interesting tips on the subject.

Just for Fun
Check out some outrageous excuses employees use for missing work.

There’s Beauty in Blogging

Thanks to social media, companies now have other channels to reach their target audience without having to go through traditional gatekeepers. Communication made extremely easy, I would say, if you know how to use it to your advantage.
It seems like everybody is blogging these days. But, really, that doesn’t override the benefits of blogging.

Employee Blogs
I love to read blogs written by employees. Jenny Cisney, Chief Blogger of Kodak said its blog puts a human face on the company.
In between classes and work, I enjoy reading a thousand words blog by Kodak employees. Employees post pictures and blog about their families, vacations, etc. I loved the post by one employee who uploaded an ultrasound of her first baby. I bet a lot of people can relate to that.

Photo Courtesy: Kodak

Blogging is a good way to engage your employees and your consumers because it is interactive. But, it doesn’t pay to join the blogosphere just because other companies are doing it. It involves strategic thinking and a lot of commitment to be successful with employee blogs.

Companies benefit on both ends by allowing their employees blog. Consumers hear from those on the inside and can identify more with the company.

I’ve come across blogs written by managers and CEOs, but nothing is more credible than having the “ordinary” employee blog. By ordinary, I don’t mean unmotivated employees who have an axe to grind with the company.

It’s always good to have criteria for selecting employee bloggers so that you don’t create disgruntled employees who feel they should have been selected and not the other person.

Blogging Tips
Here are some tips that can get you started if you’re thinking of taking a big step into the blogosphere:

• Have a blogging policy for employees.
• Do your research. Who is the target audience? What do you want to accomplish by blogging?
• Set goals and objectives of the blog. This also makes employees understand why they are blogging.
• Give your employees the freedom to write on the topics they choose.
• Have the legal department read each post to ensure there are no legal liabilities.
• Bloggers do not all have to come from the PR department. People in other units also have an interesting perspective on the company’s business.
• Encourage feedback from the target audience.
• Put a mechanism in place to evaluate the success of your blog.

Transparency or Nothing
I came across a US government blog, which I also found very interesting. I was impressed that the government was embracing social media with open arms. It makes me think transparency. In defining its social media strategy, the government is seeking people’s opinion via a five-minute survey. The survey is a good way to engage readers.

Photo Courtesy: Southwest Airlines

Brian Lusk, who writes for the Southwest Airlines blog, said “If you have something to hide, you probably shouldn’t be blogging.”

Lusk granted an interview to The Buzz Bin on the first anniversary of the Southwest airlines blog. It’s an interesting read.

If you have nothing to hide and you plan strategically, you’ll soon discover beauty in blogging.

Are there employee blogs you like? I would love to read them.

Employee Engagement is Key

In my previous post, I blogged about the importance of employee satisfaction. I was trying to make the point that the best places to work are not necessarily those that pay the best. I would rather have a job that I can’t wait to jump out of bed to go to than one which makes me have nightmares.

Photo Courtesy: MS Office Photos

Employee engagement is important in achieving a company’s goals. I believe that if companies pay a little more attention to improving work conditions and encouraging career development they would achieve more from their workforce. 

I came across the 2007 rankings of the best places to work in the federal government. You might want to check it out if you have plans of working with the government. The report stated that “employee engagement is driven primarily by effective leadership and a good match between employee skills and the mission of the organization.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Employee Engagement Begins from the Top
In the Tech Capital blog, Suzanne Hyatt gave some engagement ingredients. Exceptional leadership was one of her ingredients. She said engagement should be driven from the top down.  Yes, management should take responsibility for driving engagement in the workplace. It’s our role as public relations practitioners to encourage management to do the right thing. Stress the importance of making your employees happy. Make them enjoy their job and run with your vision.

Hyatt talked about how corporations are spending a lot on employee engagement strategies and on measuring engagement through employee surveys. These actions, according to her, are justified because an engaged workforce has positive impact on productivity and financial results. According to Hyatt, engagement means employees are committed.

Companies that have profits to make recognize that employees are publics they can’t afford to ignore. They incorporate effective tools to engage their employees.

Testing Employee Engagement
Gallup Consulting identified 12 statements that best predict employee engagement. Gallup came up with these statements after conducting interviews in different types of organizations around the world. They are very easy statements any organization can use to test the level of engagement among its employees.

Photo Courtesy: www.campbellsoup.com

This year, 20 companies won Gallup’s Great Workplace Award. According to Gallup, the award recognizes excellent companies for creating an engaged workplace culture.

The recipients were selected based on their results from Gallup’s 12 statements.

Campbell’s Soup Company, a second time award recipient, had this to say about its employee engagement practices:

We believe that our employees feel most valued when they are fully informed, understand the company’s business goals and plans, and are invited to offer their feedback on a regular basis. Throughout the year we provide a variety of events that not only keep employees informed regarding business priorities and progress, but also encourage interactive dialogue on important topics. Popular communication programs include an information-rich employee website on which news is published every day, quarterly employee forums where senior management provides detailed business updates and addresses questions from the audience, and an annual recognition event that is attended by thousands of employees.

According to Tom Rath, who leads Gallup’s Workplace and Leadership Consulting practice:

When compared to the millions of workgroups we have studied around the world, these organizations have worked tirelessly to create an environment that values people. The winners of this award have established a new global standard for engaging people that goes far beyond trivial perks to ensure that each employee has an emotional connection to the company’s mission and growth.

In essence, what Hyatt and Rath are saying is that, organizations that value people will always be on top because their employees will be committed to achieving their mission. There should be a symbiotic relationship between management and employees.

Employee Satisfaction: It’s not all about fat checks!

Clark Kent Ervin couldn’t have said it better in an interview with ABC news. He said,”The less good people feel about their jobs, the less likely they are to be attentive and alert.”

Photo Courtesy: tsa.gov

Ervin knew what he was talking about. He was a former inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, which ranked lowest in a 2006 survey of US government employees. In that survey, DHS employees ranked their department 36th in job satisfaction, 35th on leadership and 36th on result-oriented performance. Thirty six government agencies were surveyed.

In 2007, the department conducted its own survey and released the results this year. Over 65,000 employees took the survey.

These were the key findings:

• 54% of employees surveyed said they would recommend the department as a place to work. This represented a three percent improvement on the previous survey.
• 58% said they were satisfied with their jobs. The same as in the 2006 survey.91% think the work they do is important.
• 80% know how their work relates to the department’s goals and priorities.

The last two findings on my bulleted list are quite encouraging. It shows that though DHS employees are unhappy with their work conditions, they understand the importance of their jobs and are ready to perform their roles despite those conditions. I doff my hat to them.

These are the findings I am more concerned about:

• Only 18% said pay rises depend on how well employees perform their jobs.
• Only 25% said promotions in their work unit are based on merit.
• Only 26% said steps are taken to deal with a poor performer who cannot or will not improve.

Job Satisfaction or Fat Checks?
The findings on my second list, I believe, are some of the reasons why the department’s employees are not satisfied with their jobs. I wouldn’t be satisfied with my job either if promotions are not based on merit, or if pay rises have nothing to do with performance.

Photo Courtesy: Microsoft Office Photos

Even if I earned a six-figure salary, I wouldn’t be satisfied with such conditions. Would you?I’ve always dreamed of working in big corporations and earning a a fat salary. But honestly, I would consider knocking off a few zeros from my pay check to get a job which gives me satisfaction.

Why take a job which only pays a good salary and offers nothing more? I’m interested in employers who promote career development, employee engagement, and motivate me to always give my best.

I believe the DHS is taking the right steps in determining how employees feel about their jobs. I also believe that this survey opens the door to improving the work conditions of DHS employees.

I can’t help thinking however, that if the department had regularly used surveys or other channels for measuring employee satisfaction before 2006, these results wouldn’t have been as shocking as they are. It only shows how important it is to communicate regularly with your employees. Why wait to get embarrassing survey results from your employees?

I’ll continue this discussion in my next post.

Putting on your listening ears

“Put on your listening ears!” That’s one of Judge Judith Sheindlin’s favorite lines to litigants who find themselves in her reality TV courtroom. Some organizations deserve to stand before the no-nonsense Judge for failing to put on their listening ears. I think she can teach them a lesson or two on the value of listening to their employees.

Employees as Ambassadors
In her blog, Deborah Zanke wrote about turning employees into ambassadors. Her post focused on improving internal communication as a way of turning employees into ambassadors. I agree with Zanke that organizations seem to be doing their best in encouraging feedback from investors, customers and other external publics but tend to ignore their internal publics. Too much energy is put into relationship-building with external publics, forgetting that there are internal publics without whom the company cannot succeed.

Allowing feedback in internal communications is important. After all, communication by definition is incomplete without feedback. Employees are a company’s most loyal public. Who else can better speak of your organization than those who work there? They need to believe in what you do and what you stand for to serve as good ambassadors of your company. If employees lose faith in a company, other external publics get affected by their negative attitudes. They need to be encouraged to speak and the necessary channels have to be provided.

Listening also involves acting on what you’ve heard. Some companies do a good job conducting employee surveys. Not too many of them do a good job implementing changes based on the results. When management takes time to address issues raised in surveys or through other channels, employees know they have been heard.

Bennett Simonton who has 34 years experience managing people, describes listening as the key to employee commitment. By listening, you get the best from your employees. This is what Simonton said:

The sad thing is that many bosses, high and low, are so busy giving direction and orders that they fail to listen, and subordinates decide to leave their brainpower at the door as they enter the workplace. People with suggestions are too often viewed as troublemakers or complainers.
In this mode, no one can participate, be involved or be committed. They can only be a number or a pawn, and they think that no one cares. In this state, the boss loses the employee’s brainpower, the source of their creativity, innovation, productivity, motivation and commitment.

Strategic internal communication should be the policy of every organization.
When organizations fail to listen to their employees, they set themselves up for failure. Successful companies ensure that there is two-way symmetrical communication between management and employees. They build mutually beneficial relationships with their employees as much as they do with other publics. Woo your employees like you do other external publics.

Open up the channels of communication. It pays to listen.

3, 2, 1…Action!!!

OK, there are no fireworks but right now I really feel like an actor landing my first role. I’m celebrating the fact that I finally get to write a blog. Yay!!! How cool is that? I’ve previously toyed with the idea of starting a blog but haven’t had the time or motivation to do so.

Overcoming my fears
I must confess that I have been having concerns about starting my own blog. What if I run out of things to write? What if people are uninterested in what I have to say? A host of other what ifs keep running through my head. It’s too late however to run away from this one because this is a class requirement. Michele Ewing, my PR online tactics professor will be watching closely. But just as those thoughts creep in, I also realize that there is always going to be something to write about internal communications. In fact, there is a lot to write.

Putting yourself in their shoes
In my PR classes, we’ve been taught to put ourselves in the place of the audience (publics).What would I want my manager to do if I was the subordinate? If I am at the receiving end, will I cheer for my decision as a manager? Will I like to be addressed in the manner I just addressed my employee? Will I like my achievement to go unnoticed by management?

If managers occasionally asked themselves some of these questions, it could help solve some of the mundane things we call problems in the workplace. By putting myself in other people’s shoes, I’m more likely to act with my thinking cap on when making decisions affecting them.

Are your employees satisfied with you?
A Gallup poll conducted in Aug. 2008 shows that 53 percent of Americans are completely satisfied with their boss or immediate supervisor. I wonder what’s happening in the case of the 47 percent who aren’t. Are they just disgruntled workers? Or, do they have genuine reasons to feel that way? It would have been interesting to know why these employees are dissatisfied with their bosses. If your employees are given the same survey, will they say that they are truly satisfied with you as their boss? Hmm…

Food for thought: Satisfied employees are productive employees who make impact on the profit margin of the companies they work for. It always boils down to the bottom line.

Last line

Phew! That wasn’t as hard as I thought. I got the first post rolling. Now I just have to keep it that way. I’m waiting to see if I get bitten by the same blogging bug that got Bill Sledzik. I’m about to find that out in weeks to come.